Merkel and Weber Must Reject the Croatian HDZ’s Radical Agenda

The HDZ and its sister party in Bosnia and Herzegovina have long advocated ethnically 'federalising' Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is in line with the HDZ's embrace of convicted war criminals who took part in a joint effort to carve up the country with Bosnian Serb separatists during the 1992-95 war.

This alliance was revived a decade ago between Republika Srpska's de facto leader Milorad Dodik (currently the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency) and HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina leader Dragan Covic. The two leaders share an interest in undermining the country's sovereignty as they alternate in the state presidency.

Senior figures in the party and its affiliate in Bosnia and Herzegovina have also embraced symbols of the WWII collaborationist regime in Croatia, which murdered tens of thousands of Serbs, Roma and Jews.

The message articulated by Merkel and Weber in Zagreb was directly opposed to the nationalist irredentism and revisionism promoted by Thompson, selected to be the troubadour of the HDZ's agenda.

Merkel said that "patriotism and Europe are not at odds with each other, nationalism is attempting to destroy Europe, and we have to fight it".

The lead candidate for next European Commission President, Manfred Weber attends the pre-election rally of Plenkovic's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in Zagreb, Croatia, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANTONIO BAT

Weber was equally clear: "In Milan, in Italy, the nationalists are meeting there," he said. "Le Pen is standing in the first row, and says to her people, 'Be proud of France, and to hell with Europe.' We need to answer this. I will fight against this nationalism, they will not be part of the majority of Manfred Weber."

Their own personal credibility in...